Power in the form of force has been transferred from one location to another for thousands of years. From the first grist mills, the transfer of power between locations was made by using gears, and these gears remained stationary in relation to the power source, such as a paddle wheel, for example. However, the transfer of power between locations where one of the locations is not fixed, or may need to be relocated, presents challenges for those in the mechanical arts.
In the area of hobby crafts, such as in the assembly of remotely controlled model vehicles, and robots, the problems associated with the transfer of power from an engine to another location has been problematic. For example, many hobbyists enjoy building toys and model vehicles that are remotely controlled, and which are both realistic and easily modified. As part of this modification, for example, the hobbyist may interchange parts such as wheels so as to convert a toy vehicle such as a road racer to an off-road type vehicle. Such modifications of the toy vehicle requires the hobbyist to realign certain power transmission regions of the toy vehicle during the modification of the vehicle.
The inventors have variously disclosed in copending patent application Ser. Nos. 11/290,333; 11/443,556; 11/526,264; 11/724,422; and 11/827,547, a construction system, and components useful with a construction system. The teachings of these copending applications are incorporated by reference herein. This disclosed construction system, and its variations, provides a means by which a hobbyist can build robust articles of interest, such as toy vehicles and the like, in a manner not possible heretofore.
While the construction system, as disclosed in these pending applications, have worked with a great deal of success, an acute need has emerged to provide an assembly which will allow a hobbyist to rapidly modify toy vehicles in a manner whereby the relative angular positions of the motor and an axle may be easily changed. This will permit the hobbyist to construct an almost unlimited number of vehicular model arrangements, and thereby increase the versatility and usefulness of the aforementioned construction systems.
A vehicle axle joint for a toy vehicle which is useful in a construction system as disclosed in these earlier copending applications is the subject matter of the present invention.